MEMORARE

MEMORARE

Men in Blue, Dodger Blue that is

Men in Blue, Dodger Blue that is

A Letter to Yourself

A Letter to Yourself

Catholic Hollywood: Good-bye Anne Rice

Catholic Hollywood: Good-bye Anne Rice: "This week, Anne Rice announced on Facebook that she has left the Catholic Church and Christianity. I am sorry to see her go. Her reasons f..."

A letter to yourself

There is a minister at a New England school who has his students write a letter to be delivered to themselves fifteen years in the future. He asks them to address 6 areas:
1. Who is the person right now that you would rather spend a day with than anyone else in the world?
2.Write to yourself what you hope you will be doing with your life fifteen years from now; and what you hope you won't be doing.
3. Some people say there is a God and others say there isn't. Set down in your letter what side you would put your money on today and why.
4. Set down the last thing that made you cry. 5. What is the most beautiful place you have ever seen up to now? 6. Write about the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you. Write about the nicest thing you have ever done for anyone.
The letter should have things like these in it so you won't lose track of them. Give the letter to somebody to mail to you someplace in 2025. My bet is that it will turn out to be one of the most interesting and useful letters you will ever receive. Peace, Fr. Willy

Third Street Promenade

Third Street Promenade

Retreat at Stonehill/Stations of the Cross

Retreat at Stonehill/Stations of the Cross

Coadjutor Archbishop of Los Angeles and New Media

Coadjutor Archbishop of Los Angeles and New Media

Holy Hour For Hollywood

Every week we pray a Holy Hour on Friday during the "Hour of Mercy" 3-4, for Hollywood. This week we prayed for Mel Gibson, Lindsay Lohan and Eric Roberts. All are in need of the support of our prayers and our faith to navigate a "Sea of Troubles."

• We also pray for all Acting Coaches, Actors, Agents, Animators, Cinematographers, Craft Services, Directors, Executive producers, Grips, Heads of Studios and Productions Companies, Interns, Investors, Lawyers, Lighting Professionals, Line Producers, Location Scouts, Make-up Artists, Managers, Producers, Stuntmen {women},Video Gamers, Wardrobers, Writers, Everyone below the line and above the line.
• Our prayer is that all men and women in Hollywood will use their immense talent, energy, resources to produce true works of art that enhance human dignity and give glory to God.
• We pray for those who love evil and are far from the Good, especially for pornographers who use men, women and children as objects and diminish the value and beauty of the human person, body, soul, spirit, mind and heart. Our prayers are needed here more than anywhere else.
• We also pray for all the video game creators, producers, and marketers some of whom use extreme violence, especially against women and children.
• There is no greater power in this world than the power of prayer. Look at the transformation in the life of Joe Ezstherhas as exhibit A. His memoirs, Crossbearer, speak eloquently of the power of prayer and God's love and mercy to bring about a new man.

Coadjutor Archbishop of Los Angeles and New Media

Coadjutor Archbishop of Los Angeles and New Media

Roman Holyday

Roman Holyday

Roman Holyday

Roman Holyday

Vatican Blesses Blues Brothers

Vatican Blesses Blues Brothers

Visit to Holy Father

Dear Friends,

Sorry for neglecting the blog. This April 21st, 2010, while traveling to Milan, Florence, Castel Gandolfo and Rome with Angelus Student Film FEstival winners and staff, I had the great joy of meeting the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, after a Wednesday audience in Rome. We just had 30 seconds in which I asked for his blessing on Hollywood and the work started by Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton, CSC and that Family Theater continues. He said, "Hollywood, that is very important work. God bless you." He also gave me a blessed Rosary which I cherish. Before the meeting, I chatted with some Americans while waiting for the pope's arrival. They were from the University of Southern California and they had the cornerstone of the new Catholic Center which Pope Benedict blessed right after our meeitng. Fr. Lawrence and Mrs. Sample were there with the chairmen of their advisory committee to accompany the blessed stone back to Los Angeles. This was one of the most memorable days of my life. Have you ever met the Pope? I would love to to hear from you if you have.

Caritas in Veritate

Dear Friend,
Recently, I have been thinking a lot about Pope Benedict XVI's latest encyclical Caritas in Veritate, for two reasons: I had to prepare a staff development session on "Charity in Truth" and today President Obama signed the Health Care Reform bill passed by the House of Representatives on Sunday, March 21st. The encyclical and health care reform are related. Allow me to begin first by referring to the WORD CLOUD to the left which captures the major themes of this 30,000 word encyclical Caritas in Veritate. This magisterial document opens with three powerful sentences: "Charity in truth, to which Jesus Christ bore witness by his life and especially by his death and resurrection, is the principal driving force behind the authentic development of every person and of all humanity. Love-caritas-is an extraordinary force which leads people to opt for courageous and generous engagement in the field of justice and peace. It is a force that has its origin in God, Eternal Love and Absolute Truth." Repeatedly, the Holy Father states that Charity and Truth need each other. Charity without truth becomes mere "sentimentality" and a "empty shell" of itself. Truth without charity leads to cold rights and duties and ultimately dictatorship.

Without reiterating the whole argument, it seems to me that the political parties and the extreme media on both ends of the political spectrum in this country, all need to heed the wisdom of Caritas in Veritate. By way of illustration and encouragement, bankers in London have made time in their busy schedules to study in small groups the entire encyclical. It is worthwhile for many since it is addressed not only to religious leaders, but to political leaders, financiers, labor leaders, business leaders and aid agencies.

I believe that too often the civility in public discourse and the respect we owe to every human person as a child of God are lacking because we divorce Caritas from Veritate. If one does not have a respect for the truth but rather selects and advances arguments and data that support only one's preconceived conclusion, what good does that do for humanity and the common good? Conversely, if one wishes to save the world with good intentions cultivated in a generous and noble heart but lacks the wherewithal to face the facts and limits of life in the world, little of value is accomplished. Charity and Truth need each other.

Pope Benedict concludes his encyclical with wise and modest reminders. "Development needs Christians with their arms raised to God in prayer. Christians moved by the knowledge that truth-filled love, caritas in veritate,from which authentic development proceeds, is not produced by us but given to us. For this reason, even in the most difficult and complex times, besides recognizing what is happening, we must above all turn to God's love."

As we near the fifth anniversary of his selection as the successor of Peter, God must take delight in the knowledge one of the most brilliant and holy men alive today is occupying Peter's venerable chair. If you have read this may God bless you and our good Pope Benedict.

With respect,
Fr. Willy Raymond, CSC.

Brother Andre Bessette, CSC

Wow, He was born in 1845 and died in 1937. He interceded with his prayers and Saint Joseph's help to bring God's healing grace into the hearts and bodies of thousands. So beloved and revered was he that more than a million mourners passed by his bier on cold January days in wintry Montreal in 1937.

His Oratory is now the largest shrine to Saint Joseph in the world. In 1982 he was beatified by Pope John Paul II and on December 19,2009 Pope Benedict announced approval for the final miracle that promised an unobstructed path to sainthood for this humble doorman of Notre Dame College at the foot of Mount Royal.

On October 17, 2010 Brother Andre Bessette, CSC will be canonized a saint in Rome, so announced Pope Benedict on Feb. 19, 2010. Holy Cross, Montreal, Canada and much of the Northeastern United States has been waiting for this good news for 72 years.

As a member of Holy Cross, as a descendeant of French-Canadians, as a priest and pilgrim trying to live this Catholic Christian faith, I am delighted to know that our humble lay brother, the "Miracle-worker' of Mount Royal, will finally be recognized as a saint and his great love and faith be shared with the whole world. Beni soit le nom du seigneur, maintenant et a toujours! As Brother Andre told thousands, Ite ad Joseph, Go to Joseph. He is a powerful friend to have in heaven.

History in the making

Dear Friend;

This is meant to give an inside look at the workings of the historic Rosary Bowl celebration in California this past May.

It is just over one month since the Rosary Bowl celebration in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on May 19, 2007. Eighteen months of planning and excellent collaboration by hundreds of volunteers preceded this great event. Not in the last fifty years has there been a gathering of this magnitude in southern California to pray the Rosary.

The organizers of this splendid event serve in Holy Cross Family Ministries, the successor organization for all the ministries founded by Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton, CSC, a Holy CRoss priest who died in 1992 and is now a candidate for sainthood.

Patrick Peyton was born in Ireland in a poor family and came to the United States in 1928. Feeling called to the priesthood he entered the Holy Cross Congregation at Notre Dame University. Gaduated Magna Cum Laude and moved on to Washington, D.C. to study theology and prepare for ordination to the priesthood. Two years from ordination he was diagnosed with terminal tuberculosis and returned to Notre Dame to die--he thought. He was encouraged to trust in God and pray to the Mother of God that he would be healed through her intercession, if it were God's will. It was and he was given a new lease on life. He promised the Blessed Lady that he would dedicate the remainder of his life spreading devotion to her and to family prayer, especially the Rosary.

He founded Family Rosary in 1942 and Family Theater in 1947. He produced excellent radio and television programs; he organized huge rallies around the world sometimes gathering 2 million people at once to pray the Rosary {Sao Paulo, 1964 and Manila, 1985 each had 2 million people at large outdoor rallies.}He died in San Pedro California in 1992 after extraordinary service in over 40 rosary rallies around the world, hundreds of radio, television and film productions.

When Pope John Paul II announced a year of the Rosary and offered to all Christians his letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, he gave a fresh and solid theologuical foundation for the Rosary as a Chrosto-centric prayer. He called the Rosary a compendium of the Gospel and invited all people of good will to consider taking up the practice of the daily Rosary as a way of getting to know the Lord Jesus more intimately. He said we do this by travelling through all the events of Jesus'life in the comapny of the one who knew him best and loved him most, his own mother. She is also our mother and eager for us to take her hand and lead her lead us to her Son.
Pope JP II confessed in this letter that the Rosary was his favorite pryaer.

That 2002 letter provided the impetus for all of us in Holy Cross Family Ministries, including Family Theater, to begin looking at ways of making the Rosary once again a common and valued devotion for Christians everywhere, especially Catholics. The great secret of the Rosary is that it is a meditative way into contemplation that uses the repetition of the Hail Marys and Our Fathers as mantras to keep focused on the Lord and his great love for the human soul.

We see the Rosary Bowl in Pasadena as a way of gathering believers in large numbers to experience the power and the joy of praying to God and honoring His Mother. The Rosary Bowl has been a powerful experience ang the afterglow continues to encourage and inspire other cities around North America to attempt something similar.

You can see footage of the Rosary Bowl celebration on our website www.hcfm.org.

More about this later. I pray you and your family and friends will have a safe and joyful 4th of July celebration in which we all give thanks for our cherished freedom.

God bless,

Fr. Willy

August Catholic Hollywood News

This first full week of August began with a visit to Family Theater on Sunday, August 6, of first term Nebraska Congressman Jeff Fortenberry. Our guest is a friend of Barbara Nicolosi of Act One fame and spoke at the Act One Graduation Dinner on Saturday, August 5.

At Family Theater The congressman spoke about being a Catholic in Washington. We wish him well as a champion of life and of Justice in the nations's capitol.

On Tuesday, August 8, Barbara Nicolosi visits Family Theater to speak this week and next on Friendship in Hollywood. Always thought-provoking and sometimes provocative, Barbara is never boring.

On Wednesday, August 9, Leo Severino visits Family Theater for another session of Going Deeper at 8:15 PM. This follows informal prayer beginning at 7 PM in the Family Theater Chapel.

On Thursday, August 10, at 4 PM at Family Theater, the Goretti Chastity Group sponsors at Holy Hour with Benediction and a 7 PM training session for Chastity speakers.

The Whole Going Deeper Series of talks, almost 25 hours in Toto, is available through this site.

THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Is Mel Gibson's career in Hollywood in jeopardy? Let me know your opinion.

If you have a prayer intention, send it to this site and we will pray for every reasonable intention at daily Mass here at Family Theater.

Peace and I pray God's blessing on you,

Fr. Willy

The Papacy and the Priesthood

This week's Going Deeper presentation, on the papacy and the priesthood (the primacy of Peter), is now available as a podcast.

visit the podcast feed page

subscribe to the series via iTunes

listen to this episode now

Going Deeper--Podcasts, complete set

Dear Friend,

This comes to advise you that this coming week will see the availability of the complete set of all 22 hours of "Going Deeper" with Leo Severino from Family Theater in Hollywood. If you are seeking:

• to know more about God, His purposes and designs,
• about Jesus and his fulfillment of the great covenants to accomplish humanity's salvation,
• about the original Church founded by Christ upon the apostles and guided through the centuries by the Holy Spirit,
• about the Bible and its centrality to Christian and Catholic life and liturgy,
• about Mary and the saints in the ongoing pilgrimage of God's people,
• about the sacraments of Eucharist and reconciliation,
• about ordained priesthood
• about making moral decisions in one's daily life.

Then this is the site for you.

Since October of 2005 Leo has been presenting one-hour seminars on the faith for Christians who are not yet Catholic but seek to know more about the Catholic Church and for Catholics who wish to enhance their understanding of the faith.

These are challenging programs recorded on an iPod and now available to you for downloading during the coming week.

The URL for the Going Deeper podcast feed is:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/GoingDeeperPodcasts

Questions about Going Deeper can be directed to this site. Family Theater is a Catholic production house in Hollywood, CA on Sunset Blvd. Next year Family Theater will celebrate 60 years of producing radio and television and film programs along with a national billboard campaign, an international film festival for undergraduate and graduate students called the Angelus Student Film Festival, and an outreach to young people in Hollywood with Prayer and Pasta once a month, and a variety of programs like Going Deeper to support young and not so young people in Hollywood.

Be on the lookout this week for the complete set of "Going Deeper" seminars.

Peace and a great summer,

Fr. Willy